Alcohol Flashcards
how many units per week
14
how many deaths per year in scotland
3000
are women or men more likely to get cirrhosis in scotland
women- 80% of all cases caused by alcohol
what are the acute effects of excessive alcohol consumption
CNS
- accidents
- violence
GI
- oesophagitis
- gastritis/ulceration
Resp
- overdose
- aspiration
what GI organs are most affected by chronic alcohol consumption
stomach, liver and pancrease
what are the cardio effects of chronic alcohol comsumption
hypertension
cardiomyopathy
MI
stroke
what are the CNS effects of chronic alcohol consumption
- neuropathies
- cerebellar degeneration
- dementia
- wernicke-korsakoffs syndrome (thiamine (B12) deficiency)
what are the effects of underage drinking on the brain
smaller hippocampal memory areas
what are the hematological effects of excessive alcohol consumption
anaemia
bone marrow suppression
what are the musculoskeletal effects of excessive alcohol consumption
proximal myopathy (muscle weakness, loss, inflammation and pain)
oestoperosis
what other systems are affected by excessive alcohol consumption
endocrine
dermatologic
reproductive
what are the results of foetal alcohol syndrome
growth deficiency, mental retardation/intellectual impairment, attentional learning disabilities & behavioural problems
what are the alcohol related liver diseases
cirrhosis
alcoholic hepatitis
what is the main pathway of alcohol metabolism
ethanol- acetaldehyde- acetate
what are the pathological factors caused by alcohol that lead to alcoholic hepatitis
inflammation- hepatocyte injury- fibrosis- impaired regeneration
what is steatosis
fatty liver, caused by alcohol
what is steatohepatits
alcoholic hepatitis
is cirrhosis reversible
no
how many drinkers will develop cirrhosis
Alcoholic Fatty Liver 90%
Alcoholic Hepatitis 10-30%
Alcohol related Cirrhosis 30%
less than 10% of heavy alcohol abusers will develop cirrhosis
what are the symptoms of worsening liver disease from steatosis to death via hepatitis and cirrhosis
Malaise Nausea Hepatomegaly Fever Jaundice Sepsis Encephalopathy Ascites Renal Failure Death
what can slow the progression of liver disease
stop drinking duh
what are the clinical signs of chronic liver disease
stigmata: spiders, fetor, encephalopathy
‘synthetic dysfunction’
prolonged prothrombin time, hypoalbuminaemia
what are the clinical sings of portal hypertension
- caput medusa
- hypersplenism
- Thrombocytopenia (pancytopenia)
what score is used to grade cirrhosis
childs-turcotte-pugh
what is alcoholic hepatitis
acute inflammation of the liver due to alcohol
what are the essential features of alcoholic hepatitis
recent excess alcohol
Bilirubin > 80micromol/l
exclusion of other liver disease
AST < 500 (AST: ALT ratio >1.5)
what are the clinical features of alcoholic hepatitis
hepatomegaly +/- fever +/- leucocytosis (increased white blood cells) +/- hepatic bruit
what can score alcoholic hepatitis
maddreys, GAHS
what can be used treat alcoholic hepatitis
steroids (prednisolone)
PTX (pentoxifylline)
what is HRS
hepatorenal syndrome- deterioration in liver function
are you more/less likely to stop drinking if you have more/less severe liver disease
more likely to abstain when you have severe liver disease
what is the treatment for cirrhosis
abstinence
what is the minimum price for 1 unit of alcohol
50p
what cultural changed could reduce alcohol consumption
education
taxation
prohibition
